To use this site, please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page.
This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies.
Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
The Yomiuri Shimbun An E2 series Shinkansen bullet train featuring a nostalgic design is shown to reporters at a depot in Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture, on Wednesday.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
14:45 JST, June 9, 2022
A Tohoku-Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train sporting a 40-year-old design — a thick green stripe on a cream-colored body — began operating Thursday.
The special service marks the 150th anniversary of railway transport in Japan and the 40th anniversary of the Tohoku-Joetsu Shinkansen’s introduction.
Operating company East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) unveiled the train Wednesday at a depot in the town of Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture.
The stripe was originally inspired by fresh verdure after a thaw. For the new service, JR East has also resurrected folk song-derived jingles and other music that was played aboard the original Tohoku-Joetsu Shinkansen trains when arriving at or departing from a station.
The new service employs a single E2 series locomotive instead of the original 200 series train, as the 200 model, which was popular for its rounded-nose design, is no longer used.
“We hope the service will allow passengers to enjoy traveling by train while recalling fond memories of the past,” a JR East official said.
Schedule details can be found on JR East’s official website.
